Other Services

My cat is "problematic", a "terrorist", and more!

We have seen it all....

Phone or video consults can be used in various situations, giving flexibility and cost efficiency

Safeguarding vulnerable clients while caring for their beloved cats

Dental disease affects up to 90% of cats and can be a significant cause of pain and discomfort

Our new clinic is fully equipped to perform radiography, and most first-opinion surgical procedures

When it's time to say goodbye

Behavioural advice

First and foremost, we must declare we are NOT qualified as feline behaviourists. 

However, we do understand cats well! With years of experience with felines and advanced feline qualifications, we have the knowledge to help with the common behavioural “problems” we see in pet cats.
 
“Problems” is in quotation marks because whatever is going on is problematic for us, but for the cats in question, it is absolutely what they feel is the right thing to do.
Some basic advice can also be found at https://icatcare.org/cat-advice where you can read articles on all things cat and search for advice on certain behaviours. 
 
If you feel your cat is showing behavioural changes it is always best for them to have a full health check with a vet to ensure it is not caused by a health issue, such as high blood pressure, thyroid or kidney problems, before going ahead with any behaviour modifications. 
 
Our team can provide basic advice about the following common feline behavioural issues:-
  • House soiling (urine, faeces or both)
  • Inter-cat aggression
  • Cat to human aggression
  • Extremely fearful / anxious cats

  • Behavioural changes that occur due to an illness or a health issue, such as  dementia or cystitis. 

 

However for more in-depth ongoing behavioural issues, or if we feel the problem is beyond the scope of what we can do to help, we will recommend a full referral to Claire Stares of 'Cats at Heart'- Feline Behaviour and Training, who is a qualified feline behaviourist. Check Claire out at  https://www.facebook.com/catsatheart.   https://www.twitter.com/catsatheart or https://www.instagram.com/catsatheart

 
What’s really important for you as the owner to know is that behavioural “problems” are not quick fixes, that just having a consultation itself is not the cure. There will be work that you and other family members must do, it will take time and patience. Several online or phone consultations maybe required. Also, some issues cannot be ‘fixed’ in the way you may have in mind if the cats' environment and living situation are not what is required for a specific cat. Please note that all advice given is in the best interest of your cat's mental and physical wellbeing. 

 

Remote Consults

A first consultation remotely can be useful for certain situations, for example for minor illness or injuries, or to triage how urgent a hands-on examination may be. We legally cannot prescribe any anti-infectives without a hands-on examination; this includes antibiotics, anti-fungal and parasite treatments for fleas, ticks and worms.

Follow-up consultations by phone, video or even by email are a useful way for us to be on top of your cats' progress if there is an ongoing condition, whilst also saving you money and time, and reducing potential stress for your cat.

For most ongoing clinical conditions, a veterinary examination once every 6 months is recommended,  we must legally perform a full hands on examination every 12 months in order to supply veterinary medications, even for ongoing cases.  

 

If you are arranging a visit for a vulnerable adult

At Vet2Cat a lot of our wonderful clients are elderly people with only their (often also elderly) cat for company, or people with some form of disability. A house-visiting vet or nurse is ideal for this type of client and cat, as it ensures their feline friend can receive the care they need, without the need for the client to worry how they will be able to get the cat to a clinic.
 
Since starting Vet2Cat we have come across many situations where the visit has been arranged by a family member or carer, but they are unable to be present at the time. Therefore, to protect any vulnerable adults, their pets and ourselves, we have developed a protocol for adult safeguarding, after consultation with various local council safeguarding boards and The Alzheimer’s Society.

If you are arranging a visit for a vulnerable adult, ideally try to arrange for yourself or a member of the family, a friend or carer to be there at the same time as our visit. This is especially important for adults with dementia or similar conditions.

If nobody else can be present for the visit, we shall adhere to the following framework:
  • We will require a contact number for a family member or carer who is responsible for making decisions on behalf of the client. This is so we can call and speak to them whilst we are at the client's home
  • If this is not possible we will write a full report of the details of the visit and give / send copies to the client and, with consent from the client, to the support network who can then be involved in decision making
  • As much as possible, we will not be out of sight of the client unless absolutely necessary to assess the cat
  • If we feel that the client may not be able to make informed decisions about the cat's care and treatment plans, we will only administer emergency treatment on the basis of animal welfare, until such a time that we have permission from the support network to proceed further
  • If we have reason to believe a client’s support needs are not being met, or that they are being mistreated or exploited in any way, we are within our legal rights to report this to the local authority, with or without the person’s consent, but it will always be discussed with the person
  • If any animals at the property are deemed to be suffering beyond the means of the client, we are obliged to inform the RSPCA
 
We have found from experience that visits involving vulnerable adults can take much more time than other visits, not only during but also before / after with the additional administrative tasks involved. If we are spending more time dealing with additional administration there will be a surcharge of £55 to cover our extra time.
 

 

Dental disease affects up to 90% of cats and can be a significant cause of pain and discomfort

Dental disease affects up to 85% of cats over 3 years old and can be a significant cause of pain and discomfort, reducing quality of life. Cats hide pain very well, so just the fact that they are continuing to eat does not mean they are not suffering with the dental disease that has been noted. What is the alternative to not eating? Its starving. In the long term, a cat’s drive to feed itself so that it does not starve will over-ride any reluctance to eat because of pain. They may eat differently, to avoid any painful areas in the mouth – such as gulping food down or chewing only on one side.


At Vet2Cat, we do dentistry well. Your cat will be the only patient booked in that day, so we are not rushing to finish to get somewhere else. If you prefer, we can collect and transport your cat to the clinic and, of course, bring them back afterwards! Please note we do charge for this extra service. 


We perform full mouth digital dental radiographs to assess every tooth from tip to root, a thorough oral examination (once they are asleep as it is much easier that when they are awake!), probing around each tooth to check the health of the gums, and full descaling of all remaining teeth. We use multimodal anaesthesia, meaning a combination of injectable pain killers, anaesthetic gas and dental nerve blocks, some cats even need a constant infusion of additional pain relief drugs, all these ensure a smooth anaesthetic. We always give intravenous fluids throughout the procedure, this not only help keep them hydrated but aids in recovery from the anaesthetic. 
Extractions are performed as required, generally this is a surgical technique involving cutting the gums away from the bone and drilling away parts of the bone to expose the roots. It is fiddly, precise work that is very skilled, and time consuming, and we charge accordingly. We include a post-operative check-up visit in the costs, as well as one oral care product for you to begin your cat’s oral care at home.
Depending on the duration of the complete dental work, costs can vary from £550 to £2500.

Surgery

Vet2Cat can perform most first-opinion soft-tissue surgeries. As with dentistry, we can arrange to collect and return your cat if you prefer. 
We also have arrangements for a visiting surgical specialist vet to come to the clinic when more challenging soft tissue surgery or orthopaedic surgery is required. 

If you cat's operation cannot wait for this, we can recommend an onward referral to another first opinion clinic, or a specialist referral centre.

We will discuss all your options and guide you as required.

At Vet2cat we understand how difficult it is to make the decision to have your beloved cat put to sleep

We are all pet owners and have been through this process ourselves, and we understand what it feels like. It can be an incredibly emotional and traumatic time for you and your family. Because of this, having your cat’s end of life care performed in the privacy of your own home can make this sad time just that little bit less stressful, both for you and your cat.
 
Vet2Cat can come to you at an arranged time, and you can rest assured there will be no rush. If your cat requires some sedation first to ensure a more peaceful passing, this is all included in the cost with no extra fee. We use Pet Cremation Services, a reliable and very sympathetic company based in Newbury. If you would like to browse their services please visit their website by clicking on the button below. 

 

 
Our fees for euthanasia at home during our normal working hours are as follows:
  • with making your own private arrangements, such as home burial: £210
  • with cremation but no return of ashes: £235
  • with private cremation and return of ashes to scatter: £267.70
There are also many types of memorial receptacles including caskets, urns, photo frames, cushions and ornaments ranging in price from £10 to £160, which are added on to the private cremation fee above. We will carry a brochure of these, or you can choose one via